Intimidated by RSD ...

I have just gotten very serious about getting my website up and running. Enter RSD. I am so very intimated by this! Most of the RSD sites I see scroll down the page. I guess I am looking more towards a "classic" (am I too old for this!?!) idea of here is a page, click the link for another page type site. I want a banner across the top, navigation on the left and bottom, photos (did I mention this is a photography website? ) to the right of the navigation and then adding a shopping cart. I seriously just don't know where or how to start using all this wonderful CoffeeCup software I have.

Is there anyone who can help this old newbie out? I want my site responsive and not back to the old days of tables (which is what I am comfortable in hand coding!)

You can have exactly what you want as far as pages instead of 'one-page' sites go. This 'scroll down one page' is a trend that became very popular a couple of years ago, but the 'old-fashioned' style with several pages is still very much alive. Or a combination of the two.

If you want some help. it would be a good idea to simply make a drawing (yes, old-fashioned drawing!) of the look you want to achieve, and then I'm absolutely sure that someone here will jump in and help you make the framework needed.

RSD can be a bit overwhelming, to begin with, but once you get started, and some understanding of how it works, the rest will be easy.

If you do make that drawing and post it here, be advised that with RSD you start building your site for mobile phone size monitors, which typically have one element below another, And then at certain breakpoints you relocate the elements to fit a wider screen. So two drawings, one for phones and the other for the normal desktop would be fine.

Hi Michelle
We have all been where you are now , i would look at the themes as a starting point in both bootstrap and foundation and pick the one that most looks like the one that would be close to your needs . Big Tip think mobile size first as the priority not desk top !! this will be the best way to design you site .You mentioned you need a shopping cart . That depends on how many items you will be selling take a look at form designer this may be a way forward for shopping although it is in beta i would say with the correct scripts you should be able to create your own shopping cart for small amounts .

Adrian mentioned what I forgot; the themes. If you look at the one called 'Bright Horizons Day care', it looks like what you described, with the banner, navigation and footer.
Everything in such a theme is editable, the images, colours, backgrounds and text. Also dimensions, borders fonts. Try it out!

Yes Inger is right
Bright Horizons is a great starting point . Tip when you preview the themes in the browser slide the browser to the different break points to see how it will look on all devices it helps me a lot when it comes to deciding .

I wasn't sure how to edit and not lose my attachments, so let me continue here. I wanted to have a few photos for the first page, then there is a version for a "tablet" size and then a shopping cart idea.

I wanted to be able to modify the background color/image as well.

After I get this set up, the shopping cart will be the next hurdle for me.

Michelle Carney wrote:I wasn't sure how to edit and not lose my attachments, so let me continue here. I wanted to have a few photos for the first page, then there is a version for a "tablet" size and then a shopping cart idea.

I wanted to be able to modify the background color/image as well.

After I get this set up, the shopping cart will be the next hurdle for me.

You folks are the BEST!!

Michelle Carney wrote:I wasn't sure how to edit and not lose my attachments, so let me continue here. I wanted to have a few photos for the first page, then there is a version for a "tablet" size and then a shopping cart idea.

I wanted to be able to modify the background color/image as well.

After I get this set up, the shopping cart will be the next hurdle for me.

You folks are the BEST!!

Hi Michelle, Inger & Adrian
Sorry to butt in at this point
The schematic you have done is pretty clear and shouldn't be too much trouble to set up.

I discovered a shopping cart thingy yesterday which seems pretty easy to incorporate into a website pages,, (there are quite a few out there) but this one looked easy & very affordable @ 34;00 US $ per year. They do a full 14 day trial (no restrictions or anything) I am testing it out at the moment (got to see if its responsive or not)

I know that at this point you are not ready and you need concentrate on getting your new site built. But make a note of my email address & when you get a little bit closer let me know & I will let you know one way or the other, if it turns out to be a cool add on for shopping cart stuff.

I have one question though, in your design for tablet & phone there is no shopping cart, is that deliberate are you not intending to offer your visitors with phones or tablets your images ?
Good luck with your build,, & don't be shy to shout us up if you need any help
Wayan in dark cold (but not raining) Indonesia